Rail anchor



H. G. ARR

RAIL ANCHOR 8 Q Q v. 52:: ix

H. G. WARR RAIL ANCHOR Filed Jan. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,038,015 RAIL ANCHOR of Illinois Application January 3, 1928, Serial No. 244,216

21 Claims.

My invention relates to devices for gripping the base flange of a railroad rail in a position to abut against a cross-tie, so as to resist the tendency of the rail to move longitudinally under pressure exerted by passing traffic, such devices being known generally as rail anchors.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved anchor device of the above character which will grip tightly the base flange of a rail and which can be made of sheet metal with but little waste of material.

Another object is to provide an improved twopiece anchor device which is so formed as to provide a relatively rigid connection between the parts when they are attached together, and. which cannot be readily disconnected when the parts are once assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of parts which, in addition to providing a strong frictional grip on the base flange of the rail, provides a tie abutting surface of large area which engages the cross tie at a substantial distance below the bottom surface of the rail base and Which at the same time effects an economy in the mount of metal used in the manufacture of the device.

Another object is to provide an arrangement and construction of parts whereby the end of the anchor adapted to exert the main gripping force on the rail may be made of such width as to provide a reliable frictional grip on the top and bottom surface of the rail base, and at the same time be sufficiently narrow to permit an increased gripping action on the top and bottom surface of the rail base when the lower portion of the tie abutting end of the anchor is forced against the adjacent cross tie.

Another object is to provide a rail anchor having one or more of the features heretofore noted and in which the rail gripping jaw member and the abutment for the opposite edge of the rail base are of such width and are so arranged with respect to each other that the anchor will readily assume a position diagonally across the rail in the event of slight longitudinal movement, and thereby exert a shackle grip transversely of the rail.

The invention has for further and more specific objects, such other new and improved constructions as will be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated objects and such other objects as will appear from the detailed description of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in connection with two specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation, with parts broken away for purposes of clearness, of one embodiment of my invention. 5

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are views in perspective of the cross-bar and jaw members, respectively, of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. 10

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing an arrangement of parts which provides somewhat greater resiliency in the cross-bar member than is contemplated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, and

Figs. 7 and 8 are views in perspective of the spring cross-bar and the rail-gripping jaw member, respectively, of the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, consists preferably of a jaw member I0, and a cross bar H, which have an interlocking engagement with each other, and which together embrace the base portion l2 of the rail. The member 10 is made preferably from a flat metal strip of uniform width, by bending the said strip intermediate its ends to the desired configuration. Preferably, it is bent to substantially U-shape so as to provide spaced jaw portions l3 and I 3 Each of the jaw portions is recessed to provide upper and lower jaws l4 and I5 adapted to be driven into frictional gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces, respectively, of the rail base. The said recesses are preferably disposed at an angle to the edge N5 of the member 10 so that the mem her, when applied to a rail, will stand at an angle to the bottom surface of the rail base. With this angular arrangement of the recesses, the lower portion of the member l0 projects under the rail base in a manner to provide a large bearing face for engagement with an adjacent cross tie I1 and also permits the use of a shorter cross bar H than would be required if the edges of the member I!) were disposed perpendicular to the bottom surface of the base. The bar H is disposed edgewise to the bottom surface of the rail and is preferably clamped between the jaw portions l3-l3 of the member ID by the resiliency of said jawportions.

In order to provide a rigid interlocking engagement of the members 10 and II, the member II is preferably recessed at one end to form a stud 18 adapted to extend into the hole I9 formed in the bottom portion of the U-member ID. The shoulder 20 of the recess 2| preferably engages with the forward edge of the member It. The bar I I is further locked in position by one or more projections 22, formed on the member ID, and adapted to engage the upper edge of the bar. The projections 22, herein illustrated, are in the form of spring tongues bent inwardly to project over the upper edge of the bar I I.

The other end of the bar II is cut away by a simple shearing operation to provide a bearing surface 23 and to form a locking shoulder 26, the latter of which snaps over the opposite edge of the rail base when the jaw member I0 is driven home.

The members In and II are preferably interlocked with each other at the factory and shipped as a single piece anchor device. The members are interlocked with each other by forcing the bar II downwardly between the jaw portions I3-I3 until the tongues 2222 snap over the upper edge of the bar. The said tongues will yield and the jaw portions I3, I3 themselves will yield slightly to permit the bar I I to be forced to its normal operating position.

In applying the anchor to a rail, the member I 0 is hooked over one edge of the rail base, in a position to bear against one of the vertical faces of the cross tie. The member is then driven transversely of the rail until the shoulder 24 snaps over the opposite edge of the rail base and the edge 23 of the bar bears firmly against the bottom surface thereof. While the connections between the members It and II are relatively rigid, there will be sufficient yielding of the parts to permit the shoulder 24 to snap over the edge of the rail base.

It will be seen by inspection of the drawings, in connection with the above description, that the blanks from which each of the members I9 and I I are formed, are of such shape as to involve but little waste in connection with the shearing operations. It will also be noted that the double construction of the jaw member I 0 provides a rail gripping member of such width as to maintain a firm frictional grip on the top and bottom surface of the rail base, but which nevertheless, will exert increased gripping force on the rail base when the lower portion of the member I0 is forced against the adjacent cross tie. The position of the shoulder 24 with respect to the spaced jaw members together with the relatively narrow width of said shoulder and jaw members permits the anchor to assume a position diagonally across the rail so as to effect a shackle grip transversely of the rail when the rail is subjected to creeping pressure.

The embodiments illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive are somewhat similar to the embodi ments shown in Figs. 1 to .4 inclusive except that the jaw portion II) is somewhat wider than the jaw portion IU of the construction previously described and in that the bar I I is arranged so as to bear flatwise against the bottom surface of the rail base. One end of the bar II is formed with an upturned portion 25 which engages one edge of the rail base, and the other end is formed with an angular portion 26, which is inserted through the opening 21 in the member I0 and then pressed downwardly until the spring tongues 2828 snap over the upper surface of the bar so as to lock the surfaces 29 and 30 of the bar into engagement with the inner and outer surfaces of the bottom portion of member Hi In this embodiment, the angular portion 26 of the bar I I preferably extends to the outer edge 3! of the member Ill so that after the member Hi has been driven to its operative gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of the rail base, the portion 26 of the bar II may be struck so as to cause the shoulder 25 to snap over the opposite edge of the rail base and to take up any looseness that may be present between the bar and the walls of the opening 21. With this embodiment of the invention, the member Iii grips the rail base in substantially the same manner as that described in connection with the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. The member II a exerts spring pressure upwardly against the bottom surface of the rail base and also locks the member Iii in its operative gripping position.

While I have described my invention in connection with two specific embodiments, it will be obvious to persons experienced in this art that further modifications might be made without departure from the spirit of the invention. It will therefore be understood that I contemplate all such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member and a separately formed bar extending transversely of the rail and having an interlocking engagement with the said gripping member to hold said parts when free of the rail in their normal position for application to the rail, and means on one of said members for locking the bar and gripping members in their interlocked engagement.

2. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member and a separately formed bar extending transversely of the rail and having an interlocking engagement with said gripping member, and a projection formed on the rail gripping member and extending over the upper edge of the said bar, to lock the gripping member and bar in their normal interlocked position.

3. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member and a separately formed bar extending transversely of the rail and having an interlocking engagement with the said gripping member, and a. spring member on one of said parts of the anchor to maintain said gripping member and bar in their normal interlocked position in readiness for application to the rail.

4. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member and a separately formed bar extending transversely of the rail and having an interlocking engagement with the said gripping member, and a spring tongue on one of said members for locking the bar and gripping members in their interlocked engagement in readiness for application to the rail.

5. A rail anchor consisting of a U-shaped jaw member adapted to be driven into gripping en gagement with the top and bottom surfaces of the rail base at one side of a rail, and a bar member disposed edgewise with respect to the bottom face of the rail base andextending between the side portions of said jaw member, and a projection on said jaw which extends over the upper edge of said bar when in its normal engagement with the jaw member.

6. A rail anchor consisting of a U-shaped member formed with a recess to provide upper and lower jaws adapted to be driven into gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of a rail base at one side of the rail, and a bar member disposed edgewise with respect to the bottom Lil face of the rail base, formed at one end with a shoulder for engagement with one edge of the rail base and extending at the other end between the side portions of the U-shaped member, and a projection on said U-shaped member which extends over the upper edge of said bar when the bar is in its normal engagement with the jaw member.

'7. A rail anchor consisting of a U-shaped member formed with jaw portions adapted to be driven into gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of a rail base at one side of a rail, and a bar member disposed edgewise with respect to the bottom face of the rail base, formed at one end with a shoulder for engagement with one edge of the rail base and extending at the other end between the side portions of said Ushaped member, and a spring tongue, formed on each side portion of said U-shaped member adapted to be depressed by the insertion of said bar; said tongue being so positioned as to snap over the upper edge of said bar to maintain it in its interlocked engagement with the said U- shaped member.

8. A rail anchor consisting of a U-shaped jaw member adapted to be driven into gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of a rail base at one side of a rail, and a bar member disposed edgewise with respect to the bottom face of the rail base, formed at one end with a shoulder for engagement with one edge of the rail base and formed at the other end with a projection which extends through an opening in the jaw member to provide interlocking engagement between the jaw member and bar.

9. A rail anchor consisting of a U-shaped jaw member adapted to be driven into gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of one base flange of a rail, a separately formed bar extending transversely of the rail and formed at one end with a shoulder for engagement with the edge of the other base flange of the rail and with a bearing surface for engagement with the bottom surface of the last mentioned base flange and being elsewhere spaced from the rail, the portion which is spaced from the rail extending downwardly at an angle to the bottom face of the rail and having an interlocking engagement with said jaw member.

10. A rail anchor comprising a jaw member formed with upper and lower jaws adapted to be driven into gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of a rail base at one side of the rail, which member normally projects under the rail base with its vertically disposed edges extending at an acute angle to a vertical plane parallel with the longitudinal center of the rail, and a retaining bar formed at one end with means for engagement with the opposite edge of the rail base and at the other end with a portion having an interlocking engagement with the jaw member to hold said bar and jaw member assembled in readiness for application to the rail.

11. A rail anchor comprising a jaw member formed with upper and lower jaws adapted to be driven into gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of the rail base at one side of the rail, which member normally projects under the rail base with an edge extending at an acute angle to the vertical plane parallel with the longitudinal center of the rail, and a bar formed at one end with means for engagement with the opposite edge of the rail base and at the other end with a portion providing a flat engagement with the bottom portion of said jaw member and formed with means for interlocking with said jaw member to hold said jaw and said bar assembled in readiness for application to the rail. l2. A rail anchor comprising a jaw member formed with upper and lower jaws adapted to be driven into gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of a rail base at one side of the rail, which member is arranged at an angle to the longitudinal edge of the rail so that the bottom portion of the jaw member extends toward the opposite edge of the rail base, there being a slot in the metal of the bottom portion of the jaw, and a retaining bar formed at one end with means for engagement with the said opposite edge of the rail base and at the other end with an angular portion which extends through said slot in the bottom portion of said jaw member to provide an interlocking engagement therewith.

13. A rail anchor comprising a jaw member and a retaining bar normally disposed edgewise with respect to the rail and having interlocking engagement with each other; the jaw member being formed from a metal strip of substantially uniform width having rail base receiving recesses formed in one marginal portion of the strip at an angle to the edge of said strip so that when the jaw member is driven into rail gripping position it assumes an angular position with respect to the adjacent edge of the rail base, the said retaining bar having relatively rigid engagement with said jaw member and engaging the opposite edge of the rail to maintain the jaw member in its rail gripping position.

14. A rail anchor comprising a jaw member and a retaining bar having an interlocking engagement with each other and which together embrace the base of a rail; the jaw member being formed from a metal strip of substantially uniform width bent to U-shaped configuration and normally disposed edgewise with respect to the rail, and a bar member being formed from a metal strip of uniform width, one end of which is cut away to provide a bearing surface for the bottom of the rail base and to provide a shoulder having a normal snap engagement with the edge of the rail base and at the other end provided with a recess providing an interlocking engagement with a portion of the said jaw member.

15. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member and a separately formed bar extending transversely of the rail and having a rigid interlocking engagement with the said gripping member, and means on one of said members for looking the bar and gripping member in their interlocking engagement.

16. A rail anchor comprising a substantially U-shaped rail-gripping member and a separately formed bar extending transversely of the rail and having an interlocking engagement with the said gripping member, means on one of said members for locking the bar and gripping member in their interlocking engagement; the said bar being formed with a shoulder adapted to engage the opposite edge of the rail base at a point which when extended transversely of the rail passes between the base gripping portions of said U-shaped member and said U-shaped member being formed of such width that slight longitudinal movement of the rail shifts the anchor to a position to effect a shackle grip transversely of the rail.

17. A rail anchor comprising two separable rail gripping members normally interlockingly engaged with each other when the parts are free of the rail so as to provide in effect a one-piece device; one of said members being formed with a portion overlying a part of the other for positively locking the members in their interlocked engagement.

18. A rail anchor comprising two rail gripping members normally engaged with each other when the parts are free of the rail so as to provide in effect a one-piece device, one of said members being formed with a resilient portion for positively locking the members together.

19. In a rail anchor, a U-shaped clamp member, a holding member movable between the arms of said clamp member into interlocking engagement therewith, and an inwardly displaced portion of one of the clamp member arms projecting into the path in which the said holding member moves to efiect said interlocking engagement, and past which said inwardly displaced portion the holding member may be forcibly moved to hold the members against forcible separation by movement of the holding member through the clamp in the reverse direction.

20. A rail anchor comprising a jaw member and a bar member which interlock with each other and together embrace the base of a rail; the jaw member being formed from a metal strip of substantially uniform width and the bar being formed from a metal strip of uniform width and positioned at an angle to the bottom surface of the rail base so as to bear flatwise against the bottom of the rail base and formed with an upturned end for engagement with the edge of the rail base and provided with an offset portion which extends through an opening in the jaw member to provide an interlocking engagement therewith.

21. A rail anchor comprising a jaw member and a bar member which interlock with each other and together embrace the base of a rail; the jaw member being formed from a metal strip of substantially uniform width, and the bar member being formed from a metal strip of uniform width positioned at an angle to the bottom surface of the rail base so as to bear flatwise against the bottom of the rail base adjacent one longitudinal edge thereof and formed with an upturned end for engagement with said longitudinal edge and provided at the other end with an offset portion which extends through an opening in the jaw member to provide an interlocking engagement with the jaw member, and resilient means on one member for retaining the bar and jaw member in interlocked position.

HAROLD G. WARR. 

